


AU's Are Really Just Happy Endings Sometimes

by InfiniteInMystery



Category: Gintama
Genre: Angst, Bring Kleenex, Comfort, For Your Eyes For Once, GinTaka is you squint, No Spoilers, Sad Ending, Takasugi needs some peace, listen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-17
Updated: 2019-05-17
Packaged: 2020-03-06 16:04:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18854398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InfiniteInMystery/pseuds/InfiniteInMystery
Summary: Takasugi's last moments are in peace.





	AU's Are Really Just Happy Endings Sometimes

**Author's Note:**

> I am not a manga reader so this is spoiler free and purely speculative, but given what I've seen for the newest chapters I present to you my Nice Ending set 'after' the current arc, in which everything Goes Right in the battle and Everyone Lives to return to their regular lives. For a short time, anyway. (If this makes any sense at all.)
> 
> PS: my writing has been??? Stilted lately. Good luck.

It hadn't been long since the final battle, hadn't been long since they had saved everything from going wrong, but to Takasugi, it felt like a lifetime ago. A different life, like he was living in a completely different world now. It was unfortunate, he thought, as he shuffled down the sidewalk with his gaze trained steadily forward. Very unfortunate.

He liked it like this, liked being on Earth, breathing the air. He liked where he'd ended up, the people around him. He wished he could stay.

But he was going to leave soon.

Gintoki was the only one of the lot of them that had a house, and being holed up at Gintoki's had been nothing short of nice over the past two weeks. But Takasugi had needed a break from the noise that day, had needed some fresh air. Needed to get away from the cheeriness he'd found himself surrounded with, Sakamoto's laughter, Katsura's terrible jokes. From the attention he'd never been comfortable receiving until now. He'd been feeling worse lately now that the fighting had died down, now that he was calm and at peace. They were little signs here and there, and he _knew_. Soon. It was time.

He wanted one more quiet walk with Gintoki.

Outside of Odd Jobs, halfway down the block, Takasugi slowly made his way to the end of the street with Gintoki ambling right by his side. The silence between them was comfortable now, had been for quite some time. They were in harmony with each other, completely in perfect sync for the first time in their lives and Takasugi wasn't sure how he had lived without this companionable bond. It was nice, a life he could have had and would have enjoyed.

They were walking at a snail's pace, Takasugi's breath lost already, but this was fine. Every rattle of his lungs reminded him that he was still living, that Gintoki was still right beside him. He'd demanded to take walks since they had first arrived almost two weeks ago after the battle, when he had first been winded from simply climbing the stairs. Gintoki had understood. Takasugi needed this. He needed to be strong right now.

At the end of the block, Takasugi stopped. He glanced up tiredly, eye on the clear afternoon sky, the warm breeze combing through his hair. Beside him, Gintoki paused too, the silence settling between them until Takasugi turned his way. Gintoki didn't prompt, simply waited.

At first, he didn't say anything. Didn't know what to say. He simply stared into Gintoki's eyes, into those red irises that were too fond, too forgiving, too pained. Takasugi regretted that this too would only hurt him.

“Make sure you let them take care of you.” Takasugi said, his voice gruff and low from coughing. He held Gintoki's gaze, eye contact never waving. Gintoki had suffered enough. “You make sure.”

Gintoki didn't respond, his eyes half-lidded now. He smiled, fond and sad and accepting. He didn't have to say anything for Takasugi to know he'd promise.

“I'll see you in Hell when you're old and wrinkled.”

They walked back to the house in silence, Gintoki closer than before, arms brushing. The climb up the stairs proved to be more difficult than Takasugi expected, but he made it without complaint. His legs were weak, muscles straining. His chest was on fire, his heart weeping. He paused on the deck, glancing back out to the street before gazing at the skyline, the sun still high in the air clouds bright. Gintoki waited for him by the door, let him look, let him soak the crappy view of the city in for as long as he wanted to.

It was enough.

It was noisy as ever inside, Sakamoto and Katsura were laughing and talking loud like they always did. They greeted Takasugi when he entered without concern to his paling face, the kids and Matako crowded around the TV fighting over which station they got to watch.

“How are you feeling?” Katsura asked from Gintoki's couch, always so polite and formal and worried. He was the first to approach, the first of the group to show any signs of understanding. “Alright?”

“I'm laying down.” Takasugi said instead. He could feel Gintoki enter the room behind him, didn't miss the way everyone glanced Gintoki's way like they were looking for confirmation or some sort of guidance. Takasugi's naps weren't uncommon; he was sick, after all. Just sick. But whatever had been on Gintoki's face behind him had changed the way they looked at him after. Perhaps they all knew too. Perhaps they all realized it was time.

They didn't say anything to him as he walked into Gintoki's room where he'd made his own comfortable home on Gintoki's futon. He was wheezing by the time he got there, his breath so short he felt close to panic like he was choking. He sat down, hand gently pressed to his chest, mentally forcing himself to relax before it could turn into a panic attack. His breathlessness wasn't from the effort of moving. It was from knowing. Knowing he was running out of time. Knowing there was nothing left for him to say, to do, nothing that could make this easier on any of them. He'd done all he could. He'd said all he could. He'd forgive all he could.

After he calmed, he had laid down for no more than five minutes when everyone else came in. He grumbled his discontent when Gintoki sat down close to his head, his hand right beside Takasugi's face. Sakamoto and Katsura simply brought their conversation – argument, really – into the room, chatting loudly and making themselves comfortable like nothing was amiss. Matako automatically started to dote on him, asking him if he needed water, a snack maybe, until Kagura began making up wild stories about how Takasugi was her long lost space uncle. It was about time he came around, she said, she'd secretly always wanted to meet the man who had wooed her brother.

Takasugi listened to the noise around him, eyes on the ceiling. This was so stupid. He wanted a nap. He wanted to be alone. He wanted to be miserable and full of regrets.

It was nice. Very nice. There was love spreading in his chest from the presence of friends, calmness in his heart the closer Gintoki slid his hand. He'd never had this until now, and now it was too late. Huffing a laugh, he closed his eye, dozing to the warmth in the room.

Sometime later, still in the same position he had been hours ago, Gintoki noticed. Sometime later, Gintoki finally bent down and placed a gentle kiss to Takasugi's forehead, warm trembling lips that lingered. Takasugi wouldn't complain this time, didn't complain as everyone else quieted down and followed suit. Katsura got second dibs, his hand cupping Takasugi's face. Sakamoto gave him an extra smooch right after, being dramatic about it. Matako almost fought Sakamoto for her turn, her face wet with preemptively shed tears, Kagura asking for the last kiss. She patted his arm, her little face twisted up. She turned away immediately. At her side, Shinpachi simply offered him a content smile. It was all more than he ever dreamed of.

Katsura's eyes were misty as he moved to Takasugi's other side, across from Gintoki, a hand cupping Takasugi's face again. He was smiling fondly just like Gintoki, just a little more than the rest of them.

He didn't say anything. They'd already said everything the needed too, already discussed what needed to be discussed and said their goodbyes. Now wasn't the time for tears and regrets. Takasugi's hand found Gintoki's, fingers interlacing automatically and Gintoki squeezed. He was smiling lovingly, eyes dark, his nose dropping down to brush past Takasugi's once more. Katsura took up his other hand, rubbing circles into his shoulder.

The chatter picked up again with his hands tightly interlocked with Gintoki's and Katsura's, the discussion quiet this time. Reminiscing of good times and ridiculous times, the wildest stories told by Katsura. Kagura was making up more space adventures, asking for Takasugi's input when she ran out of plot ideas. They continued on, a quiet murmur in the room, until Takasugi finally sighed in relief.

This was it. There was no blood on his face and no war to be fought, just the friends that had somehow stuck to him and all the love they could give.

This was how he passed.


End file.
